You know all is well with the Astros when the sparkle is back in Craig Biggio's eyes and the limp is gone from his stride. All is well when Jeff Bagwell is at his self-deprecating best, joking about his shortness and his swing -- "I have 48 check-swing strikeouts already," he says. All is well when Billy Wagner's elbow doesn't hurt, and he's throwing in the mid-90s.
All is well everywhere with the Astros, quite a change from this time last season. They've made friends with their ballpark, their lineup is one of the best in the game, their pitching looks better than it has in several years and they've won six of their first eight games. And they've done this with little production from Bagwell, and with no help from left fielder Moises Alou or right-handed pitcher Shane Reynolds, who have yet to play this year because of injuries.
|  | | Richard Hidalgo has his power stroke going as he has slugged three homers in the Astros' first eight games. |
"We've got a chance to be very good," says Wagner. "Good things are happening to us again."
That started late last season -- too late to salvage anything other than setting the National League record for home runs in a season -- when the Astros decided that they can't beat little Enron Field, so they might as well beat it to death.
"Going there wasn't an easy adjustment," Wagner says. "We went from one of the biggest parks (Astrodome) in the game -- you could throw the ball in the middle of the plate there -- to one of the smallest. We had to change everything. At Enron, you have to pitch inside as much as possible. Now, we are."
They didn't win their fourth game at Enron Field until May 9, 2000. They won their fourth game there this year on April 6. They've won because they've blasted their opponents, three of their four home wins have been over the Brewers. Third baseman Chris Truby ("look how big his arms are," says Biggio) homered in each of the first three games (Mark McGwire and Willie Mays are the only players in history to homer in each of the first four of a season); center fielder Richard Hidalgo knocked in 10 runs in the first three games -- no player in the last 25 years had that many RBI so early in a season.
As good as those guys were, the Pirates, who also got a good look at Houston's power, raved mostly about outfielder Daryle Ward, who has slimmed down from last year but won't even start when Alou returns. Believe it or not, the NL record 249 homers the Astros hit last season might last just one season the way they're hitting the ball.
"Corner to corner," Bagwell says of the new success at Enron. It's a very small ballpark down each line, but a big place to dead center. The Astros have their pull swings going this season.
But what they also have is strength of pitching, which comes primarly from an attitude change. "No more excuses," says pitching coach Burt Hooton. He made it clear from the start of spring training that there will be no complaining about the dimensions at Enron: it is what it is, deal with it. Anyway, it's not as hitter-friendly as it was last year after netting was put up in left center; already, two or three balls that were home runs last year have been doubles this season. Hooton also has stressed pitching inside more, and throwing more fastballs. "What I saw when I got here (midway through) last year, was a bunch of guys throwing a lot of breaking balls," Hooton said. "What is it that gets players signed? A good fastball."
Few have a better one than Wagner, who is healthy again after attempting to pitch through excruciating pain in his elbow for the first two months of last year. The pain is gone, he has two saves and hasn't allowed a run in four innings. In his one-inning save on Tuesday night against the Brewers, he struck out the side in the ninth on 11 pitches.
"I owe it all to Robb Nen," Wagner said. "He told me last year to get my elbow done (surgery) right away rather than wait until the winter. I couldn't have been ready for this year if I had waited." Wagner also has more help than ever this season, with Doug Brocail and Mike Jackson by his side.
Wagner still has the best stuff on the staff, but Wade Miller is a close second. Miller's stuff was undeniably good last season, but he's been even better in his first two starts this year against as he has struck out 23 batters in 16 2/3 innings.
With Jose Lima apparently over his fear of Enron, Scott Elarton at the top of his game and Reynolds on the way back, the Astros' rotation has a chance to be dominant by July. And running the staff is catcher Brad Ausmus, who is considered to be one of the game's best handlers of pitchers.
Bagwell and Biggio were among those who questioned why the Astros would trade their pal Ausmus two years ago. Well, he's back. And there they were, three good friends, taking early batting practice at Milwaukee's Miller Park on Tuesday. Their smiles were unmistakable. They were smiles that we didn't see at all last year.
ESPN The Magazine's Tim Kurkjian writes a weekly column for ESPN.com.
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